I thought it might be worthwhile to share our experiences of what makes certain meditation sessions successful, whereas others might be so beneficial. Perhaps we can benefit from each other's experiences.

I'll go first, shall I?...

My experience has been that if I do some meritorious deeds beforehand, or deliberately cultivate metta-bhavana earlier in the day, I find it easier to arouse the joy that provides the platform for better concentration. If I approach a meditation session "too dry", I will struggle to subdue craving and whilst I would still be able to observe the meditation subject, it wouldn't be with the same clarity or depth. Calm and joy helps to make the mind content to sit with the meditation subject. If once I hit a meditation session and realise that I've approached it "too dry" I will attempt to cultivate calm and joy through anapanasati.

What's your secret to a successful meditation session?

Metta,Retro.

"When we transcend one level of truth, the new level becomes what is true for us. The previous one is now false. What one experiences may not be what is experienced by the world in general, but that may well be truer. (Ven. Nanananda)

“I hope, Anuruddha, that you are all living in concord, with mutual appreciation, without disputing, blending like milk and water, viewing each other with kindly eyes.” (MN 31)

Nice topic. I've had some thoughts on a similar subject.I think its very easy to fall into the trap of believing a meditation session is qualitatively 'good' or 'bad' due to the this or that sensation or mind-state experienced during the session. My experience has been that a session's quality doesn't relate at all to whatever phenomena is manifesting. In fact, the expectation of a 'good' or 'successful' session based on what we're expecting to experience, is a barrier to progress.mettaBen

“No lists of things to be done. The day providential to itself. The hour. There is no later. This is later. All things of grace and beauty such that one holds them to one's heart have a common provenance in pain. Their birth in grief and ashes.” - Cormac McCarthy, The Road

Learn this from the waters:in mountain clefts and chasms,loud gush the streamlets,but great rivers flow silently.- Sutta Nipata 3.725

Ben wrote:In fact, the expectation of a 'good' or 'successful' session based on what we're expecting to experience, is a barrier to progress.

Yes, it's a trap I've fallen into once or twice and it's a mental construct worth being cognizant of, if it arises during meditation... it can then be transformed from the unwholesome (greed) to the wholesome (generosity/renunciation) with Right Effort.

Metta,Retro.

"When we transcend one level of truth, the new level becomes what is true for us. The previous one is now false. What one experiences may not be what is experienced by the world in general, but that may well be truer. (Ven. Nanananda)

“I hope, Anuruddha, that you are all living in concord, with mutual appreciation, without disputing, blending like milk and water, viewing each other with kindly eyes.” (MN 31)

Ben wrote:In fact, the expectation of a 'good' or 'successful' session based on what we're expecting to experience, is a barrier to progress.

Yes, it's a trap I've fallen into once or twice and it's a mental construct worth being cognizant of, if it arises during meditation... it can then be transformed from the unwholesome (greed) to the wholesome (generosity/renunciation) with Right Effort.

Metta,Retro.

Yeah.... it's challenge to not project such standards of evaluation on meditation practice.... Interesting question you've asked, Retro. I don't have any formula or strategy, to be honest. But I've recently begun to see that sometimes it is better for me to do metta bhavana instead of samatha-vipassana. So I'm learning to find the right balance.

Oh, well, for the sake answering your question, I find that I've had some 'good' sessions when even though I don't feel like sitting, I make myself do it anyway. I'm sometimes surprise at how 'well' the sessions go.

A good session is one where I successfully shake off restlessness (will I become concentrated tonight? or not) or to sloth, which ever... I seldom fall prey to the first two and never to skeptical doubt.

The priming for a good session is reflection on the Buddha, or Sangha or Dhamma. The Buddha most often: I'll look up to my rupa and think about all the great qualities that the Buddha possessed, chief among them (right after being awakened) was that he was so compassionate for beings that he chose to teach rather than expire into Nibbana. Often I feel a welling up of gratitude toward him, and all those of the Sangha that have preserved the teachings to this point in time, so that I have the opportunity to make an end to suffering.

Usually that does it. On occasion I will be restless and cannot settle my mind, so I will sit and keep my thinking occupied to my posture. Then get up and make some tea, returning to my spot with it so that I can be "drinking my tea -- only drinking."

Of course, if I attain concentration then that is a huge factor in calling the session a "Success!".

MichaelThe thoughts I've expressed in the above post are carefully considered and offered in good faith.

And friendliness towards the world is happiness for him who is forbearing with living beings. -- Ud. 2:1To his own ruin the fool gains knowledge, for it cleaves his head and destroys his innate goodness. -- Dhp 72

Mindfulness (sati) i.e. to be aware and mindful in all activities and movements both physical and mentalInvestigation (dhamma vicaya) into the nature of dhammaEnergy (viriya)Joy or rapture (piti)Relaxation or tranquillity (passaddhi) of both body and mindCollection (samadhi) a collected, intent state of mindEquanimity (upekkha), to be able to face life in all its vicissitudes with calm of mind and tranquillity, without disturbance.

Metta,Retro.

"When we transcend one level of truth, the new level becomes what is true for us. The previous one is now false. What one experiences may not be what is experienced by the world in general, but that may well be truer. (Ven. Nanananda)

“I hope, Anuruddha, that you are all living in concord, with mutual appreciation, without disputing, blending like milk and water, viewing each other with kindly eyes.” (MN 31)

A successful meditation session is when I don't get caught up in value judgements over the success or failure of my meditation session and am content to be with whatever is, good bad or indifferent.

Having said that on it's own taking that approach could become a cop out and result in not putting forth a bit of effort when needed. So a good session is when I've sensed if a level of effort or direction is required and use that without disturbing the wider awareness and balance of mind.

If I feel there has been a tangible sense of being present, of being aware, of being lucid through most of my session then that's good, if I can take that into the rest of my day then that's successful.

The true test of success is that I come back and sit again at the next opportunity.

"Right effort is effort with wisdom. Because where there is wisdom, there is interest. The desire to know something is wisdom at work. Being mindful is not difficult. But it’s difficult to be continuously aware. For that you need right effort. But it does not require a great deal of energy. It’s relaxed perseverance in reminding yourself to be aware. When you are aware, wisdom unfolds naturally, and there is still more interest." - Sayadaw U Tejaniya

Mindfulness (sati) i.e. to be aware and mindful in all activities and movements both physical and mentalInvestigation (dhamma vicaya) into the nature of dhammaEnergy (viriya)Joy or rapture (piti)Relaxation or tranquillity (passaddhi) of both body and mindCollection (samadhi) a collected, intent state of mindEquanimity (upekkha), to be able to face life in all its vicissitudes with calm of mind and tranquillity, without disturbance.

Having contemplated the above (for any length of time), that constitutes 'success' (in my book)...

Last edited by appicchato on Thu Feb 25, 2010 9:00 am, edited 1 time in total.

Aren't they all succesful? If something interferes with concentration, sooner or later it will be noticed, and then it can be dealt with. So if problems arise, great, now we are aware of them and able to progress.

Good question Retro, a few things come to mind. As others have pointed out - thinking in terms of success and failure can be a hindrance in itself. On the other hand I find it useful to try to be objective at the end of the meditation session and ask "how did it go? how much happiness, peace, freedom, etc. (or lack thereof)? why?" In this way I learn what are the causes that lead to the hindrance arising and what are the causes that lead to the enlightenment factors.

Also I highly agree that Dana and Metta are supportive to meditation practice and this is in concord with the Suttas:

Monks, for one whose awareness-release through good will is cultivated, developed, pursued, handed the reins and taken as a basis, given a grounding, steadied, consolidated, and well-undertaken, eleven benefits can be expected. Which eleven?

"Having given this, not seeking his own profit, not with a mind attached [to the reward], not seeking to store up for himself, nor [with the thought], 'I'll enjoy this after death,'

...

" — but with the thought, 'This is an ornament for the mind, a support for the mind' — on the break-up of the body, after death, he reappears in the company of Brahma's Retinue. Then, having exhausted that action, that power, that status, that sovereignty, he is a non-returner. He does not come back to this world.

"This, Sariputta, is the cause, this is the reason, why a person gives a gift of a certain sort and it does not bear great fruit or great benefit, whereas another person gives a gift of the same sort and it bears great fruit and great benefit."

++++++++++++++++This being is bound to samsara, kamma is his means for going beyond. -- SN I, 38.

There is freedom from birth, freedom from becoming, freedom from making, freedom from conditioning. If there were not this freedom from birth, freedom from becoming, freedom from making, freedom from conditioning, then escape from that which is birth, becoming, making, conditioning, would not be known here. -- Ud 80

Ar scáth a chéile a mhaireas na daoine.People live in one another’s shelter.

“No lists of things to be done. The day providential to itself. The hour. There is no later. This is later. All things of grace and beauty such that one holds them to one's heart have a common provenance in pain. Their birth in grief and ashes.” - Cormac McCarthy, The Road

Learn this from the waters:in mountain clefts and chasms,loud gush the streamlets,but great rivers flow silently.- Sutta Nipata 3.725

++++++++++++++++This being is bound to samsara, kamma is his means for going beyond. -- SN I, 38.

There is freedom from birth, freedom from becoming, freedom from making, freedom from conditioning. If there were not this freedom from birth, freedom from becoming, freedom from making, freedom from conditioning, then escape from that which is birth, becoming, making, conditioning, would not be known here. -- Ud 80

Ar scáth a chéile a mhaireas na daoine.People live in one another’s shelter.

Nice topic. I've had some thoughts on a similar subject.I think its very easy to fall into the trap of believing a meditation session is qualitatively 'good' or 'bad' due to the this or that sensation or mind-state experienced during the session. My experience has been that a session's quality doesn't relate at all to whatever phenomena is manifesting. In fact, the expectation of a 'good' or 'successful' session based on what we're expecting to experience, is a barrier to progress.mettaBen

True. I think that sometimes the times when we thought meditation was going badly might turn out in fact to be the times when we benefitted most.

1. take some time before you start the meditation session to allow the mind to calm down naturally from the stirring "outside-world" and its commitments (e.g. do a brief chanting or something else which helps the mind to turn towards a supporting attitude for the planed meditation)

2. think about or contemplate on what you are going to do at this meditation session (e.g. metta-bhavana, anapanasati, kayanupassana, vedananukpassana, objects, anicca-dukkha-anatta, 4NT, dependent origination, samatha, vipassana and so on...) and go for one particular task (except in case if you use for example metta-bhavana as a preparatory work to initially calm down the mind (point 1) and then you go on to do anapanasati (point 3), that's also okay)

3. when you feel readily prepared, leave all the worldly commitments aside and keep in mind that your only exercise for the time you meditate will be the meditation - your total commitment is required - don't allow anything to disturb you while meditating and remind yourself if necessary that except for the planed task nothing else will be your business from the moment on when you started your meditation

4. meditate

5. you shouldn't stand up directly after meditation and immediately resume worldly live. take some time after you finished meditation and try to maintain the state of mind for some time. you maybe get the chance to observe how the mind gradually withdraws from the state developed in meditation

On a more physical level, I like to have two or three cups of green tea before meditation. (And maybe wait a while for the water metabolic system to stabilize). Does tea figure in the Theravadan practice? It has a long history in China and Japan. It is not a strong caffeine jolt--I find it provides just a nice amount of stimulation to help me stay 'on task.'Regards,T

I met a monk once who said "it's always time for tea"... but I think that had more to do with him being Sri Lankan than it did with him being a Theravada monk.

As for the suttas, I can't think of any references to tea off the top of my head.

Welcome to Dhamma Wheel, by the way.

Metta,Retro.

"When we transcend one level of truth, the new level becomes what is true for us. The previous one is now false. What one experiences may not be what is experienced by the world in general, but that may well be truer. (Ven. Nanananda)

“I hope, Anuruddha, that you are all living in concord, with mutual appreciation, without disputing, blending like milk and water, viewing each other with kindly eyes.” (MN 31)

If I have a sitting and I feel relaxed during and/or after the meditation session, I'm happy.

For beginners, it is common to judge each session as good or bad (and it's usually judged as bad), but as we continue with the practice, I think it is best to drop the judgments and expectations.

i'm with you on what makes me happy, but your 2nd part though i see it in others was completely backwards for me.. maybe in the beginning i didnt expect too much? or maybe now i feel i havent progressed enough? who knows

สัพเพ สัตตา สุขีตา โหนตุ

the mountain may be heavy in and of itself, but if you're not trying to carry it it's not heavy to you- Ajaan Suwat

After posting, I realized that there is a kind of Pavlovian aspect to the tea--when I drink it, my mind is going 'Tea? That means it's time for meditation!' Then, I realized there are other preparations that have a similar effect--straightening up the meditation space, cleaning the altar, preparing and lighting the incense and candles--plus I have a routine of stretching and light exercises that all contribute to signalling the mind that 'it is time.'

Another factor: I threw my TV away a couple of years ago. Also, I never use a headphone stereo. I think these two influences may be hindering a lot of people with a constant sensory buzz. Lots of people use the headphones on the train/subway--I just meditate. I think these have contributed to a noticeable mellowing of my personality, but it may just be the result of aging?!